Month: August 2024

by Irene Roth, Blog Editor/Writer

There are many benefits to living a re-focused kind of life. Take the time to find the positives. This is where developing a positive mindset comes in. Living with a chronic condition, such as fibromyalgia, can have benefits.

When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I’d go down negative vortexes of thought and emotion that made my life so much harder. It took me a long time to realize that I was hurting myself by allowing my negative thoughts and emotions to overpower the more rational and intuitive part of me. I felt cheated somehow. I wanted to do everything that I used to. But this was the wrong mindset to appropriate for me.

What I needed to do desperately is to listen to my body and slow down. But I fought this with all my might. I felt like a looser when I didn’t get a lot done. Little did I know, I was actually hurting myself physically but also psychologically in the process.

I viewed slowing down as a sign of weakness. I was brought up to keep going even when I wasn’t feeling well. I had to keep pushing through regardless. But this was detrimental of my overall health and well being.

I later learned that not only was slowing down not diminishing to me physically but it was an important part of accepting my fibro. Therefore, it was actually positive and in line with what I was going through at the time.

This was a huge aha moment for me. What I was brought up to believe was actually turned on its head. Slowing down can actually help me live better with my disease!

Here are some benefits to slowing down and changing my mindset that I learned the hard way.

• We’ll really notice so many things in our environment that we may have never seen, such as the deep purple carnations and petunias, the different shades of sunsets, the dew in the morning, the feeling of peace on rainy days, and so on.
• We’ll slow down. When we rush, we stress more.
• We’ll resist monkey mind which is where our thoughts run from one thing to the next unconsciously. Instead, we’ll focus on what we’re doing in each moment.
• We’ll stop focusing on what we can’t do and only on what we can.
• We’ll take things as they come and not overthink it.
• We’ll leave earlier for appointments and reduce our stress levels.
• We won’t push ourselves past your limits but honor them.
• We’ll listen and honor our beautiful body.
• We’ll take the time to take four or five deep breaths throughout the day.

By taking these steps to slow down, you will accept your fibromyalgia and live a good quality life. Further, you will take steps to reduce your pain and frustration levels by being mindful of your thoughts and attitudes towards your illness. Your mindset matters. The more positive you are, the better will your quality of life be.

By Irene Roth, Blog Editor/Writer

I’m in the throes of a fibro flare today. But I decided to write, anyway. There are such moments when my life becomes so difficult and I feel so alone. I have difficulty focusing. My body hurts all over. My neck really aches and my head actually feels heavy. Not sure why. I don’t know enough about anatomy. But I know that fibro flares have widespread pain, and there’s nothing I can do about that.

So how can I ensure that I can accept my predicament? Probably by not fighting it and accepting this as my new reality from time to time. What we fight tends to grow. What’s more, we stress ourselves out by fighting what is. The more stress we feel, the more pain we feel. And we may even be bringing on a fibro flare, possibly by fighting it.

Also, by not fighting our pain and fatigue, we can become more resilient. People who live with fibro struggle with debilitating pain and various comorbidities, which can snap the joy right out of life. It’s very hard to live with fibro and still enjoy life unless we change our mindset.

Here are a few positive resiliency traits of individuals living with fibro.

*1. We are resilient. Fibro is challenging and complex to live with. We have to learn how to bounce back quickly, dogging triggers and attacks, or recover from them. This is a fundamental part of coping with the pain and fatigue of fibro, as well as all its comorbidities.

*2. We experience a lot of strength. We are able to tough out the debilitating symptoms and get our lives back on track quickly. Fibro flares are like battles. We must fight through them to get to the other wide as best as we can so that we can get back to living our lives.

*3. We are empathic. Because we struggle with so much pain, we are able to empathize when others are struggling as well. Seeing and understanding another’s pain, struggles, and difficulties are innate abilities we pick up along the way.

*4. We appreciate others with sincerity and without the expectation of anything in return. We accept help and know that without our tribe, we couldn’t survive on those hard days.

*5. We develop courage. Fibro knocks us down more often than we’d like to admit. Yet, we continue to have the courage to get backup and keep trying. This is because we face adversity often. This makes us stronger and more able to keep on living our best life.

By recognizing the amazing resiliency traits that we can develop over time because of living with fibro, we can be proud of ourselves. And when we have hard days, and yes, there will be quite a few, we can rejoice that we’re able to cope and find some modicum of peace in a day that’s riddled with pain and fatigue.

By Irene Roth, Blog Editor/Writer

Let’s face it, living with fibro can be very difficult. Life can be an uphill battle. However, there are many things we can do to lessen our burden and stress levels. Decluttering your life is one of those things that can help you feel more organized, less stressed, and more productive.

There are two types of clutters: physical and mental. Both can cause a lot of undue stress and exhaustion for individuals. Why? Because physical clutter can cause stress, which in turn can result in a feeling that our life is out of control. But also, stress can cause more pain and fatigue, something that fibro warriors have to struggle through anyway.

Here are some tips to help you declutter your life so that you can make space for what’s most important.

Start by decluttering your physical space

Begin by decluttering your living space, including your home, office, and car. Get rid of things you no longer need, use, or love. Donate or sell items in good condition, recycle or trash items that are no longer usable.

Simplify your digital life

Declutter your digital space by deleting old files, organizing your email inbox, and removing unused apps from your devices.

Prioritize your time

Identify the most important tasks and activities in your life and focus your time and energy on those. Eliminate or delegate tasks that are not essential or that drain your energy.

Say no often

Learn to say no to invitations, commitments, and requests that are not aligned with your values or priorities.

Practice mindfulness

Take time to reflect on your thoughts and emotions and let go of negative self-talk and limiting beliefs that hold you back.

Set boundaries

Set boundaries with people and situations that drain your energy or cause you stress. Learn to say no to things that don’t align with your values or priorities.

Remember that decluttering your life is a process, and it may take time to see the results. But by taking small steps every day, you can create a more organized, peaceful, and fulfilling life.  These practices can help you feel less stressed and much more positive and energized.